Shrouded in Darkness
by cheri1
Summary: Eleven/Amy. The Doctor decides to take Amy to the mysterious planet of Samhain which is rumored to be filled with magic and supernatural beings. He's taking her to a costume party but he ends up fighting for Amy's life instead.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do like Amy and Rory as a couple but I like Eleven and Amy a bit better and I wanted to do a little shippy fanfic for Halloween. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

The Eleventh Doctor sat by himself in his console room staring at the rotor, lost in thought. It had only been a month since he regenerated and brought Amy Pond on board as his companion, although for Amy it had been fourteen years since he had first sampled fish custard in her kitchen. He had lied to Amy when he did that, it wasn't accidental that he made her wait fourteen years. In truth, he knew it would be foolish to bring along a seven year old girl as his companion so he purposely made her wait until she was old enough to face the dangers with him.

Looking back on his decision, he found himself questioning his sanity. His previous self in the end had decided to ban companions from the TARDIS, using the reasoning that he would only lose them in the end. But the loneliness was more than he could bear and he knew why. Rose. For centuries, he avoided romantic encounters with his companions until one night, his newly regenerated eighth self became giddy at remembering who he was and in his joy, kissed Grace Halloway. He suddenly realized that it felt good kissing someone else and when Grace asked for a second kiss, he didn't hesitate. That was his first mistake, allowing Rose into his hearts was his second. In his loneness and despair after the destruction of his planet, he allowed the human girl to minister to his wounded soul and heal it and in gratitude, he rewarded her with something he had never given anyone else, he became her lover and even though he didn't regret the time he spent with her, looking back on it he realized Rose had been a drug and he had been a hopeless junkie, bringing her closer and closer to her hearts and soul, letting her in more and more, deeper and deeper until his very being was almost shattered beyond repair after he lost her at Canary Wharf. After that, he went looking, trying to recapture what he once had with his beloved Rose. The closest he ever got was Joan Redfern but she spurned him after he transformed back into his old self and his hearts were broken again.

Then Donna Noble found him again and became his companion and she did the same thing Rose did, lifted his spirits and showed him the joy in life, but instead of becoming his lover, she became his best friend and confidant. He thought he was safe doing that, keeping her near him in a platonic relationship, but she too managed to go deep into his heart and soul and her loss was just as devastating as Rose's was. It was that loss that was the final straw and the one that prompted him to swear off companions for all time. So why in the name of all that was sacred was he at it again?

"Because you need someone now," he said to himself. "You tried to go on without a companion and it didn't work. Amy is an anomaly like you are. A girl with so much power inside, yet so unaware of just how powerful she is. Like a moth to the flame, he was drawn to this unusual girl, a free spirit like Rose with flame red hair like Donna. Perhaps that was what interested him so much. She possessed the qualities of the two women he loved dearly. For the past month, he had tried to stay aloof, not only because he didn't want to do something he'd regret but also he wanted to give her a chance to get used to traveling in the TARDIS and traveling in time in general. Still, he felt that old familiar urge to get out and explore coming on and he wondered if perhaps he could do something special for her, as a way to welcome her to the TARDIS officially.

The TARDIS who had been secretly monitoring his thoughts, knew that he fancied Amy, even though he was trying not to admit it openly. She also knew he was trying to do something special for her and she searched through time and space trying to find something for them to do. While she was scanning she had a good idea and she beeped her monitor to get the Doctor's attention.

The Doctor frowned and got up from his seat. He walked over to the monitor and noticed Gallifreyan writing was now on the monitor. The writing said…

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE AMY SOMEWHERE, I MIGHT HAVE FOUND JUST THE RIGHT THING.

"And where might that be?" the Doctor said aloud.

The Gallifreyan text faded and new text appeared.

SAMHAIN

The Doctor cocked his eyebrow. Samhain was a mysterious planet, full of supernatural things and magic or so the legends claim. The inhabitants kept to themselves, rarely venturing away from their home world. It was claimed that some of the most powerful witches and warlocks in the universe resided there.

"What's on Samhain?" he asked aloud.

FANCY DRESS PARTY.

"So? I can go to one of those on a million different planets," the Doctor said.

BUT THIS IS ON A PLANET FILLED WITH SUPERNATURAL BEINGS. PERHAPS A BIT OF EXCITEMENT AND ADVENTURE TO GO ALONG WITH THE PARTY?

The Doctor chuckled.

"You know me too well, Old Girl," he said.

The TARDIS nudged his mind affectionately while the Doctor considered her suggestion. He had never been to Samhain before. Had always meant to go but something had always come up. He really didn't believe in magic or most supernatural creatures, figuring most of it could be explained by science or logic but the thought of going there and seeing the mysterious planet intrigued him. He decided it might be fun to explore a planet of supernatural creatures. He asked the TARDIS to locate Amy as he left the console room. The TARDIS moved the living room to the back door and the Doctor entered it. Amy was curled up at the end of the sofa, a white afghan on the lower half of her body while she read a book. The Doctor paused a moment and smiled fondly at his newest companion before he walked over to her. Amy lowered the book and smiled at him.

"Having a rest?" she asked.

"Me? Never!" he said. "In fact, I came to ask you if you were up for a bit of an adventure."

"Where to?" Amy said.

"A planet called Samhain," the Doctor said in an ominous voice.

"Samhain, isn't that the old name for Halloween?" Amy said.

"Indeed it is. Samhain is rumored to be populated with supernatural creatures."

"You mean…like ghosts and goblins?"

"Perhaps," the Doctor said with a shrug.

"You mean, you don't know?"

"Never been, frankly. I thought perhaps we could explore it together."

"Ooo, it does sound interesting," Amy said, setting the book down on the table beside the sofa.

"Actually, my TARDIS located a fancy dress party on Samhain so I wondered if perhaps…"

Amy raised her eyebrow.

"You wanna go to a fancy dress party on a planet filled with ghosts and goblins," she said, amused.

"Why not? Do something out of the ordinary, I say. Why go to a fancy dress party on Earth when you can go to one on the mysterious planet of Samhain!"

Amy laughed.

"Anyone ever tell you that you'd make a good salesman?" she said. "You're good at making anything sound exciting."

"Fancy dress party on a mysterious supernatural planet isn't exciting?" the Doctor said in confusion.

"No, no, it is. I just wonder what I should wear for it."

"Go to the wardrobe room. The same one where you picked out some clothes. The TARDIS can help you select something appropriate," the Doctor said.

Amy nodded. She grinned and the Doctor's hearts skipped a beat when she came close to him.

"You know, I like this idea more and more," she said. "Can't wait to see what you'll wear to the fancy dress party. I'll see you in a few minutes."

The Doctor nodded. A warm feeling filled his body when she gave him a peck on the cheek and he fought to keep his face passive and his hands at his sides. She smiled, a lovely, beautiful smile, and went past him, excitement on her face. The Doctor loved that she was excited now. He looked up at the ceiling.

"Thanks, Old Girl, I can always rely on you," he said.

The TARDIS grunted affectionately and watched silently while the man she loved went to find a costume of his own.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

When Amy got up to the second level of the wardrobe room, there was already something waiting for her in her size. She walked over to a wooden table and saw a white, lacy ball gown, the kind that princesses wear in fairy tales. She fingered the delicate satin and looked at the satin slippers that had little silk bows on top of it. Amy smiled and nodded.

"I love it," she said.

She heard the TARDIS rumble and knew she was replying to her, possibly even saying you're welcome. She hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that the Doctor's ship was alive but she couldn't think of a more wonderful ship to travel in. She picked up the dress and noticed there was underwear and tights underneath it. She laughed.

"You think of everything, don't ya," she said.

After putting it on, she checked herself in a full length mirror. The white gown accentuated her figure perfectly and it made her red hair look even more stunning. Amy swayed from side to side looking at her reflection before she headed back downstairs.

When she reached the console room, she froze when she saw the Doctor. He was dressed in a one piece black outfit that had a skeleton on the back of it. He turned as he sensed her coming in and he saw the skeleton on the front of the one piece outfit. She giggled when she saw his face. He had taken black and white greasepaint and made his face look like a skull to go along with the skeleton costume. What made her laugh was he didn't put a bald cap or any covering over his hair and his fringe flopped over his skull face making him look bizarre. Amy stopped laughing after a moment when she noticed the Doctor hadn't moved since he saw her. He was staring at her in silent awe.

The Doctor was gobsmacked. He thought Amy was beautiful but seeing her like this…for a moment, he flashed back to the time Rose wore the Victorian dress when they met Charles Dickens and how that had also left him speechless. He was of the opinion that his female companions needed to wear more elegant dresses since Amy looked just like a princess. He was about to comment on how beautiful she looked when Amy started giggling again. He gave her an annoyed look.

"May I ask what's so funny?" he said.

"Your floppy hair over your skull face?" she said.

"A skeleton can have hair," the Doctor pointed out quickly, "I'm not done decomposing yet and I didn't feel like covering up my magnificent hair."

"Okay, okay, don't get angry, it's your costume," Amy said, laughing as she held up her hands.

The Doctor came down the steps and walked over to her.

"You, on the other hand, look beautiful. You look exactly like the fairy tale Pond I mentioned the night I met you."

"And you're not Prince Charming then?" Amy said.

The Doctor bit back a comment of how he would like to be her Prince Charming and gave her a warm smile.

"I don't do medieval costumes," he said. "It's not really me."

"And skeleton costumes are?" Amy said.

"Yes, because it makes me look menacing," the Doctor said in a deadpan voice.

He grinned when Amy gave him a long, hard stare.

"The bow tie doesn't make you look menacing, why should this thing be any different?" she finally said, gesturing to the skeleton outfit.

"Bow ties are cool," the Doctor said, coming closer to her.

"You like saying that, dontcha?" Amy said.

"Sure do because it's the truth. It's also my little catchphrase, sorta like Geronimo. It makes me uniquely me."

"If you say so," Amy said.

The Doctor smiled and bent his arm, waiting for her to thread her arm through it. Instead, Amy took his hand.

"I never liked arm in arm that much," she said.

The Doctor was secretly thrilled that she preferred holding his hand. Her hand was soft and warm to the touch and he was once again reminded of Rose and her hand used to fit perfectly in his. He glanced down and saw that the same was true of their hands.

"Hey, Boney Boy? We gonna go out now or stand here all night holding hands?"

"We're still in flight," the Doctor said.

"No, we're not, your thingamabob stopped moving," Amy said, pointing up to the rotor.

The Doctor was so preoccupied with Amy that he hadn't realized they landed. He let go of her hand and sprinted up the steps. He checked the monitor and noticed that according to the data, they had landed near a town. The Doctor assumed the party was in town somewhere. He relayed this information to Amy who was standing at the bottom of the steps.

"The TARDIS doesn't know the name of the town?" Amy said.

"No, we've never been here before. She's only able to give me basic details that are pretty much common knowledge. I don't even know where the fancy dress party is being held, we'll have to ask once we get outside," the Doctor said, powering down his ship.

"Wait, if she doesn't even know where she landed, how can she be sure there's a party tonight? I don't want to walk out there like this if she got the location wrong."

"You still look beautiful, what's wrong with looking like this every once in awhile?" the Doctor said.

"Okay, perhaps I can pull off the dress but what about you with the skeleton clothes and skull face?" Amy said in amusement.

"Amy, there is something you need to know about me," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, you're definitely a mad man with a box, I know that."

"Yes, but there's something else you need to know about me."

"And that is?"

"I like to walk around as if I own the place," the Doctor said smugly.

"Aha, so that's why you can walk around and pretend that bow ties are the height of chic when they're not."

"Bow ties are cool," she said at the same time he did.

The Doctor eyed her while she gave him an impish grin. A grin spread over his face and he held out his hand. Amy took it and they walked to the front door. He opened the door and looked out. He noticed that the TARDIS was parked beside a small unadorned wooden house. He stared at it for a moment before he came outside with Amy. Amy stared at the house while the Doctor closed the door.

"Are you sure we're on an alien planet? This house looks like it belongs in the 1800's," she said.

The Doctor pointed up at the sky and Amy followed his finger and saw two suns hovering in the air above them.

"Okay, so it is an alien planet. But is it Samhain?" she asked.

"One way to find out," the Doctor said, taking her hand.

He walked around to the front of the house and knocked on the wooden door. Amy stared at his skull face and wondered if she should run back in the TARDIS before the Doctor embarrassed them both. The door opened a crack and Amy saw half a man's face peek out at them. The man's blue eye looked first at her and then looked at the Doctor and Amy noticed that he was staring directly at his skull makeup.

"Hello," the Doctor said cheerfully. "We're strangers here. We're looking for the fancy dress…"

The man slammed the door quickly.

"Party…" the Doctor finished while Amy tried to conceal her laughter. "Okay, we find someone else then."

"Somehow I get the feeling the reaction is gonna be the same wherever you go," Amy muttered as they turned and walked away.

Amy's suspicions were confirmed when she saw people walking by them and doing a double take at their outfits. A few of them stopped in their tracks and gaped at the Doctor as he casually strolled past them without a care in the world. Amy felt herself blushing when one little girl stopped and tugged on her mother's hand, pointing at the weirdo as she called him while her mother gave the Doctor a stern look. To Amy's horror, the Doctor turned towards them and waved cheerfully. The woman suddenly looked like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was and Amy fully shared that sentiment.

"Good afternoon," the Doctor said to the woman. "My friend and I are trying to find a fancy dress party which is why we're dressed this way. Can you direct us to the place where they're holding it?"

Amy knew from the confused look on the woman's face that they had landed in the wrong place.

"I'm sorry?" the woman said. "You're looking for what?"

"Fancy dress party. Place where people party and wear costumes."

"There are no parties here, this town is cursed and if you knew what was good for you, you'd get away from it as fast as you could. Now, good day!"

"Wait, what sort of curse?" the Doctor said.

But the woman was already hurrying off, her little daughter was staring over her shoulder at them while they walked away.

"So, see, I told ya that you might have gotten it wrong," Amy said. "No fancy dress party. Might as well go somewhere else."

She tried to walk away but the Doctor jerked her hand.

"Didn't you hear her? This town is cursed, let's go find out why."

Amy groaned softly and followed behind the Doctor while he tried to find someone else to talk to.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The Doctor let out a frustrated noise. He had stopped three separate people trying to get information but they either ran from him or suggested he find a mental institution and stay there. He tried to stop an old lady and flinched when the elderly woman shrieked and ran away from him.

"Might I make a suggestion?" Amy finally said.

"Yes, Pond?"

"Lose the skeleton costume and wash the makeup off your face and I think you'll find people might be more cooperative," she said, pointing to a small fountain in the center of the town.

The Doctor let out an angry sigh, muttered under his breath about having to ruin his makeup when he spent a lot of time getting it just right and headed to the fountain. It was a small stone fountain. It was circular with carvings along the base and the fountain rising ten feet out of the center of the pool of water. While the Doctor bent over and started to wash the greasepaint off his face, Amy stepped back and examined the base. She noticed with some shock that there were carved skulls around the base that were spaced out evenly around it except for a space at the front where someone had carved words. She stepped over to it and read what it said.

The water of life flows on and on.  
Enjoy it while you may.  
Because it will not last forever.  
And death will find you one day.

"Gee, what a beautiful sentiment," Amy said dryly.

"What's that?" the Doctor said, reaching into his trouser pocket for a handkerchief.

"This lovely poem someone carved into the base," Amy said to him as he wiped his wet face with the handkerchief.

The Doctor walked over and stared at the poem. He read it and shrugged.

"It's the truth," he said before he went back to wiping his face.

"Yeah, but they don't have to put that on a pretty little fountain like this," Amy protested.

"You do know that Victorians used to carve things like that on gravestones, yeah?" the Doctor said, lowering his handkerchief to look at her. "It's a way of telling people to enjoy life to its fullest."

"Okay, I get that. But this is a fountain in the center of town, not a ruddy tombstone and…you're not done yet," she added when she saw his face.

"What'd ya mean?"

"I mean, you still have black around your eyes and you look like a raccoon now. Here let me," Amy said, taking the handkerchief from his hand.

She dipped a bit of it in the water and began to work on the spot around his eyes, trying to get rid of the remnants of black greasepaint while the Doctor waited patiently. While Amy was rubbing the makeup off his face, a young lady with long jet black hair was passing by. She stopped and stared at them for a moment before walking over to them. The Doctor turned his head slightly when she came up beside him and nodded hello. The woman looked at him and then looked at Amy.

"You're not from around here," she finally said.

"No, we're not. We were looking for a party but I have a feeling we're in the wrong town," the Doctor said while Amy turned the handkerchief around and dried the area around his eyes.

The woman snorted.

"No parties here, no reason to celebrate," she said.

"Why is that?" the Doctor said as Amy finished her work and examined his face.

The woman fell silent and the Doctor sighed and extended his hand to her.

"I'm the Doctor, this is Amy Pond, how do you do?" he said to her.

The woman stared at the hand for a moment and then slowly took it and shook his hand.

"Narcissa," she said.

"Pleased to meet you," the Doctor said. "Now that we know one another, perhaps you can tell us about this cursed town you're living in."

"Everybody knows about the curse. Where are you from?" Narcissa said.

"We're from far away. We're travelers and we've never been here before," the Doctor said.

"Well, if I were you, I'd continue traveling," Narcissa said.

"Why? People end up dead here?" the Doctor said.

"Worse. They end up undead."

"Undead, you mean like vampires?" the Doctor said.

Narcissa shook her head.

"Follow me," she said, "I'll show you what I mean."

She started to walk away and then stopped and looked at the Doctor's outfit. Amy giggled when the Doctor turned red and quickly turned it off, revealing his normal attire underneath. Once he had it off, he made a ball out of it and stared at it for a moment, wondering what he should do with it. He tried to pass it to Amy but she quickly stepped away.

"I'm not carrying it, get rid of it," she said.

"Get rid of it? This is a perfectly good costume," the Doctor said incensed.

"Then go put it in the TARDIS, I'll wait," she said to him.

The Doctor pointed at her outfit.

"If I'm going back to the TARDIS, shouldn't you do the same?" he said.

"Yes, I'd like to do that. I don't want to walk around this tiny town in an elegant ball gown," she said to him.

The Doctor turned to Narcissa.

"Could you follow us for a moment? We have to go to our house so I can put this away and she can change clothes."

"Your house? I thought you said you were traveling?" Narcissa said.

"We are. But we take our house with us…like turtles," the Doctor said.

Narcissa was confused but she agreed to follow them. She walked behind the Doctor and Amy, her long hair blowing in the wind. The Doctor glanced at her as they walked. Even though they were on another planet, she was dressed in old fashion human clothes. Her clothes were drab and conservative. She was wearing an ankle length brown skirt with black blouse and a brown shawl that matched her skirt. She had on black boots that resembled Doc Martins. Her skin was pale and she had no makeup on her thin face. The Doctor thought she looked like she was living in the 1800's and going to a funeral. He noticed that everyone else dressed much the same way, brown and black with no color and no makeup. He guessed that the society was just as strict as the dress code.

When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor told Narcissa to wait outside. They went inside and Narcissa stared at the blue box while she wondered how they were supposed to change clothes inside the tiny structure. She walked all the way around it, touching it and marveling at the bright blue color that stood out inside the drab town. She came back around to the front and read the words on the top and on the side of the door wondering what a police call box was. Ten minutes later, the door opened and Narcissa swore she caught a glimpse of a much bigger interior before the Doctor closed the door behind them. Narcissa stared at Amy's bright red sweater, blue jean skirt, white socks and white trainers and the first thought that came into her mind was she looked like a harlot since only prostitutes dared to wear red. Then she figured that she came from a place where wearing red was perfectly acceptable since she didn't seem like a whore. The Doctor had managed to get the last of the makeup off his face and she was struck by how handsome he was when he didn't have faded black circles around his eyes and black on his nose and his mouth. The Doctor smiled warmly at her.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," he said. "I gather there's no fancy dress party here so it doesn't make any sense to keep on wearing our costumes. Now…you were saying?"

"Um…follow me," Narcissa said.

The Doctor took Amy's hand and the two of them followed Narcissa through the town. She led them nearly to the other side of it to a large wooden structure that was rectangular and very long and narrow. On the front, a small wooden sign above the door signified that it was a hospital.

"She's in here," Narcissa said.

"Who is?" the Doctor said.

"Juliet."

"Ah, and who is she?" the Doctor asked.

"The undead woman we found wandering in the cemetery."

The Doctor and Amy shared at look as they followed her inside.

"So…if she's in here, you found her recently?" Amy asked.

"No, there's a section of the hospital that houses people who are too sick to go back home," Narcissa said as they walked past a wooden desk and down a wooden corridor.

"Like a convalescent home?" the Doctor said as they followed her.

"I'm not sure what that is," Narcissa said.

"People who cannot take care of themselves any longer, they stay in one section of the hospital?" the Doctor clarified.

"Yes. And there are sections for sane and insane people."

"I see. And which section is Juliet in then?" the Doctor asked.

"Insane," Narcissa replied.

"Ah," the Doctor said. "Is she really or do they just think that because she's supposedly undead?"

"She isn't supposedly undead. She really is undead."

"And how do you know this?" the Doctor continued. "Is she a rotting corpse?"

"No. You'll see when we talk to her."

"Ah."

The Doctor glanced at Amy who shook her head and spun her finger around her ear. The Doctor shrugged at that as they followed Narcissa towards the back of the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Just before they reached the ward that housed the insane patients, they came to another desk. A stern looking elderly woman dressed in black was sitting behind it. Her snow white hair was tied back in a tight bun and a pair of glasses perched on her nose. She looked up from her paperwork when they approached, her gaze sweeping over all of them and landing right on Amy. The woman's eyes drifted down to the bright red sweater and stayed there.

"I'm sorry, prostitutes are not allowed in here," the woman said, glaring at Amy.

"Excuse me?" Amy replied.

"She's not a prostitute," Narcissa said.

The woman snorted and muttered, "You coulda fooled me," under her breath while Amy gave her a look of death.

"Madam, we're here to see Juliet," the Doctor said, taking Amy's hand when he sensed his companion might do something rash to the woman when she gave Amy a look of contempt.

"Are you family?" the woman said, turning her stern gaze towards the Doctor.

"No, they're with me. Juliet is my friend and I'm visiting her," Narcissa said. "They're with me and I will be responsible for them."

"Very well," the woman said, letting out a sigh, "go ahead then."

Narcissa thanked her and they walked down the corridor directly to the left of the desk.

"Hey, what's with her thinking I'm a prostitute?" Amy said to Narcissa.

"Red is associated with harlots here, plus no one wears skirts that short, no respectable woman anyway."

The Doctor bit his lip to keep his laughter in when he saw the shock on Amy's face. He put his arm around her and gave her a warm smile.

"Don't get bent out of shape over that. That's their culture," he said to her.

"Yeah, well, someone coulda said something before I decided to walk away from the TARDIS with this on me," Amy replied.

As they walked down the corridor, they heard random yelling and some sobbing and moaning. Most doors were open and there were wooden beds inside the rooms with some patients lying in them. A few were up and about their rooms and they waved cheerfully to them as they passed by. Near the back though, the wooden doors switched to solid metal ones with a viewing window in them made of unbreakable alien glass. This was where most of the screamers and groaners were kept. Amy jumped when they passed by one door and a disheveled man suddenly slapped the glass hard with his hand. The Doctor, noticing how startled she was, put his hand around her shoulders while they followed Juliet.

They finally neared the back of the building and they noticed two male orderlies standing by one door. One of the orderlies stepped forward when they walked up.

"We were told you were going to visit this patient. We were ordered to wait for you and make sure you're safe," he said.

Narcissa nodded and the orderly nodded to the other one. The orderly by the door pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door. He opened the door, glanced inside and beckoned to the Doctor, Amy and Narcissa. They came forward and the orderly let them enter the room. The room was padded with feather pillows that had been nailed to the wall and floor. The three of them struggled for a moment while they tried to walk on the pillows on the floor, then they got their balance and stood there while the orderly shut the door and watched through the tiny window. The only occupant of the room was sitting at the back, her head in her hands and her long blonde hair draped down over her face like a veil. She was thin and pale and they noticed there were bruises all over her arms and legs. She was wearing a black gown that was hiked up to her thighs and she was barefoot. The Doctor slowly walked over to her while the two women followed.

"Juliet?" the Doctor said, squatting down in front of her.

There was no reaction for a moment and then Juliet slowly raised her head and lowered her arms. Her face was thin, pale and waxy and there were dark circles around her eyes. Her brown eyes were dull looking but other than that, the Doctor couldn't see any evidence of her being undead. He looked at Narcissa.

"Okay, how is she undead?" he asked her. "Because I can hear her breathing so she has a heartbeat."

"She is a living corpse, that's why. Her body has been reanimated and there is a heartbeat but there's no soul now."

The Doctor and Amy shared a glance and Amy could tell by his expression that he wasn't buying that.

"Okay, how did she become undead then?" he asked as patiently as he could.

"She was found dead in her bedroom," Narcissa said. "The doctors examined her and pronounced her dead. She was buried in the cemetery and two weeks later someone was coming to visit a deceased loved one and found her wandering the cemetery."

"Okay, so premature burial then," the Doctor said. "The doctors made a mistake when they examined her, this woman was buried alive, she managed to escape but the shock of being buried alive drove her insane."

"No, you don't understand. She has been enchanted, she is the living dead."

The Doctor sighed angrily and got to his feet.

"Look, Narcissa, I don't believe in enchantments. This woman is quite obviously alive. I see no evidence of her being the undead. She's breathing, she's moving, she's conscious and sees and hears everything we do or say. I don't see any rotting flesh, no vampire teeth, the woman is just a victim of mistaken burial and now she's gone mad. She needs to be treated for her mental illness, not gawked at like an exhibit in a freak show."

"She didn't escape on her own," Narcissa said impatiently.

"Oh? Passerby hear her cries for help then?" the Doctor said.

"No. She was reanimated and kidnapped by Dorigon."

"And Dorigon would be…"

"An evil sorcerer who roams graveyards looking for freshly buried corpses. He reanimates them after digging them up and enslaves them."

"So she's supposedly a zombie then," the Doctor said.

Narcissa gave him a blank look.

"Zombies are corpses that have been reanimated and enslaved by someone."

"Yes, that's what I said," Narcissa said.

"And where's the evidence that she's a zombie?" the Doctor said, pointing to Juliet.

"I am dead."

Everyone looked at Juliet when she spoke to them in a soft voice. The Doctor squatted down next to her.

"Juliet, you're not dead. You're alive," the Doctor said to her. "Whatever happened to you, it was a mistake, yeah? You woke up in a graveyard and the shock of that affected your mind. No one has enchanted you."

"No, I was dead! My soul is in the land of dreams, I am a corpse."

"And this Dorigon is the one who did it?"

Juliet nodded.

"I escape him but I am no longer a normal person. I am a walking corpse," she said.

The Doctor sighed and looked at Narcissa.

"What you said to the person at the front desk, are you really this woman's friend?" he asked her.

"Yes, I've known her since childhood. I tell you that she was dead, we all saw it."

"Who's we? Who else saw her dead?"

"Her family, myself, the doctors."

"Then I want to speak to her family. Can you take us to them?"

Juliet hesitated a moment. The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"What's wrong? The family doesn't believe this codswallop about her being the living dead then?" he said.

"No, they do. I just think you won't be able to get much from them. They're very private people."

"Has this happened before?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, lots of times."

"And the man's never been caught and tried for his crimes?"

"He's a sorcerer, no one can catch him."

"Fine," the Doctor said, beginning to lose patience, "can you just take me to her family so I can speak to them. If this man is doing this, I want to put a stop to it once and for all."

Narcissa studied him for a moment and saw the conviction in his eyes. She nodded.

"Yes, I'll take you to them. But I'm warning you in advance, they may not tell you much," she said.

The Doctor nodded and he and Amy followed Narcissa while she walked over to the door and signaled the man that they wanted to be let out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Amy walked beside the Doctor as they followed Narcissa through the town. Amy was lost in her thoughts. Like the Doctor, she had trouble believing that Juliet was a zombie. Except for the bruises and the fact that she was thin, pale and sickly looking she looked like a normal human being to her. The more she saw of the town, the more it creeped her out. She realized that since they had been there, she hadn't heard anyone laugh, there was no happiness and there was no loud talk. The townspeople were somber, mainly dressed in black and she thought the whole town seemed to be in mourning for something. She suddenly wanted to get back in the TARDIS and go but even though she hadn't been with the Doctor for very long, she knew that he would stay until this thing was sorted out.

Narcissa led them over a hill and they saw a huge graveyard off to their left while more of the town was on the right. As they passed by the graveyard, they stopped when they noticed there was a large tree in the center of the graveyard. Three nooses hung down from it and they were putting one of the nooses around a young man who had his hands tied behind his back. The man was terrified, standing on a stepladder while two men on stepladders on either side of him prepared him for hanging. Below them was a small crowd, including three men who were pointing laser blasters up at the man in case he tried to escape.

"What was this man's crime?" the Doctor asked Narcissa.

"Murder. He beat his wife to death," Narcissa said.

"Please, I'm innocent!" the man yelled as they tightened the noose around his neck.

"Didn't the man get a fair trial?" Amy asked, alarmed.

"Yes," Narcissa said as if she was an idiot. "Of course he did. That's why he's about to hang."

Amy shivered, knowing she was about to watch a man die. She felt the Doctor's arm go around her and she smiled when he pulled her close to his side. The man was wearing a long black robe that hung loose over his body and was barefoot. He had sandy blonde hair and green eyes and a baby face and Amy couldn't help but think how cute he was and how innocent he looked. She glanced at the crowd gathered around him and noticed some of them looked eager for the hanging to begin and it sickened her that his fellow human beings were treating a man's execution like it was sport. While she watched the men finish tying the noose and a priest come up the ladder on his right side, she felt someone watching her and looked over at the Doctor who was studying her silently.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Amy's heart warmed when he saw the concerned look in his eyes.

"So far," she admitted. "I've never seen anyone die before. Have you?"

She was taken aback when the warm affectionate look in his eyes instantly hardened.

"Yes, many times," he said in an equally hard voice.

Amy didn't know what to think of that and the cold look on the Doctor's face unnerved her so she turned back to the crowd. By now, the priest was finished and the two stepladders on either side of the man were removed. While she watched the man plead for mercy, she felt the Doctor shift around behind her and put his arms around her, guiding her back against his body. Amy felt another shiver, except this time it wasn't from fear. She gulped when one of the men who had put the noose around the man's neck walked up to him and without preamble kicked the stepladder out from under the man. The man fell about a foot but his neck didn't break. Amy gasped as the man writhed in agony while he slowly strangled to death. She felt herself staring at him, not wanting to look away as if it were a car wreck. Then she saw to her horror that the man was beginning to urinate and a thin stream of urine was coming out of the bottom of the robe, hitting the ground with a splattering sound. The man was turning blue in the face as he gagged and twisted and Amy finally couldn't stand any more of it. She broke free of the Doctor's arms and hurried away as fast as she could, wanting to get back to the TARDIS and leave Samhain as fast as possible.

"Amy!"

"I want to get away from here!" Amy said, without looking back. "I want to go now!"

She stopped when the Doctor hurried around her and stopped her in her tracks. His expression was no longer hard and cold; instead he had a sad look on his face.

"You should have said something. We could have kept walking but you stopped and stood there so I thought you wanted to see it," he said to her.

Amy felt tears come to her eyes and the Doctor came closer and put his hand on her cheek while Amy tried not to cry.

"That was inhumane," she said, choking up while the Doctor pulled her in for a hug. "They just let him dangle there and choke to death. Why didn't they break his neck or chop his head off or shoot him instead of just standing around and watching him urinate on himself."

"I know," the Doctor said softly. "Perhaps they felt he deserved it if he murdered someone. I don't agree with it either but I have a feeling if we tried to stop it we would have ended up next to him."

Amy stood there while the Doctor hugged her. She put her head against his chest and heard the faint double beat of his hearts while the Doctor waited for her to calm down. While they were doing that, Narcissa walked up to them.

"Is she alright?" Narcissa asked him as she gestured to Amy.

"Oh, I think so," the Doctor said. "She just needs to get over the shock of seeing her first death, that's all."

"Death is a common everyday thing here. We're used to it," Narcissa replied.

"Then why don't you leave?" Amy asked her.

"And go where?" Narcissa said. "This is my home, I've lived here all my life. Where would I go?"

"I don't know but anywhere where there wasn't constant death would be a very good thing," Amy replied.

Narcissa shrugged.

"We are all fated to die," she replied matter-of-factly. "We cannot escape it no matter how far we run."

Amy had to admit she was right but still, she didn't think she'd want to live in a town where people went missing and turned into zombies on a regular basis. Her heart quickened when the Doctor suddenly put his lips next to her ear.

"Are you alright now?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine now."

"Good, do you mind if we go back to the graveyard? I want to see where Juliet was buried. Can you handle that?" he whispered.

Amy thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," she said.

"Good. Because I'll be right beside you," the Doctor whispered.

Amy felt comforted by that and her hearts raced again when the Doctor gently kissed her forehead before he let go. He asked Narcissa about seeing Juliet's grave before going to see her parents. Narcissa studied Amy.

"Will she be alright?" she asked him.

Amy turned and nodded.

"Yeah, I just need to get used to seeing death since I'm traveling with him," she said to her.

She didn't see the Doctor's expression but she could sense him stiffening when she said that. The Doctor put his hands on her arms and gave them a squeeze before he came up beside her, smiled affectionately at her and took her hand. Narcissa led the way back to the graveyard. To Amy's horror, the crowd had dispersed but they left the man hanging there. A black and blue bruise ringed his neck from the rope and his skin was grey. His eyes stared blankly at them and as they entered through the iron gate around the cemetery, Amy's stomach turned when she noticed there was now a pile of feces under him.

"How long will he stay up there?" the Doctor said to Narcissa with barely contained anger.

"About a day. He'll serve as a lesson to anyone else who thinks of committing a crime and then he'll be taken down, cremated and his ashes will be dumped on the rubbish heap. Criminals aren't allowed to have a proper burial," she said.

Amy glanced at the Doctor and saw his jaw tightened as his eyes flashed anger. But Narcissa didn't see that. She led them past the hanging man further into the cemetery. Amy noticed that the majority of the graves were above ground mausoleums. Most of them were rectangular with cravings on the top and sides, a granite panel at the front listed the person's name and dates of birth and death. On several of the mausoleums she noticed a strange emblem on the front under the dates of birth and death. It was a dragon like creature inside a circle. She pointed it out to the Doctor and Narcissa looked at the symbol.

"That's the crest for The Order of the Serpantine. It's a society dedicated to sorcery and the magickal arts. There are many members," she said.

"You said that Dorigon was a sorcerer," the Doctor said.

"Yes. The legends say he was a grand master of the order about two hundred years ago before he grew angry and disgusted with the order and left."

"Two hundred years?" Amy said in disbelief, "the man's still alive?"

"He keeps himself alive through magickal means," Narcissa said, looking back at her.

"What sort of magickal means?" the Doctor said, "and why did he become angry and disgusted with the order?"

"He became angry and disgusted that the members wouldn't practice black magic or take any chances such as summoning demons. As for magickal means, some say that he calls back the souls of the corpses he takes and the souls keep him young and immortal."

Amy and the Doctor shared a look and the Doctor rolled his eyes at that. They passed by a couple of mausoleums and they saw one that was open. The panel was off and lying against the side of it. The Doctor walked up to it and bent down, looking into the hole where the coffin would have been. He squinted and put his hand in while Amy stood behind him and watched. He withdrew his hand and pulled out a sheer linen burial shroud. He examined it.

"When they bury people, do they use a coffin?" the Doctor asked Narcissa.

"Not usually," Narcissa replied.

"What do you mean not usually? When do they use a coffin then?" the Doctor asked.

"For people suspected of being vampires or possessed by demons. They put them in an iron coffin and seal it shut so they can't escape," Narcissa said, once again in her matter-of-fact voice.

Amy could tell the Doctor wanted to say something sarcastic but he nodded and put the shroud back inside the mausoleum. He stood up and walked around to the panel. He noticed it was blank and looked at Narcissa.

"They didn't have time to carve anything on here?" he said to her.

"That's a substitute. They put those on the mausoleum when a person first dies until one can be carved and then the real one is put on and sealed."

The Doctor nodded. He looked around the graveyard and noticed several house-like crypts near the back. He looked at Narcissa.

"For the wealthy?" he said, pointing to them.

"Some. There are also communal ones for people who can't afford a proper burial," she said.

The Doctor headed towards one that was made of black marble. It was shaped like a small house. The door was made of iron with a skull etched on the front of it. Above the door the words NOTCHE DERUM was carved. Amy frowned and pointed to it.

"What does that mean?" she said.

"It's Golgoth. It means eternal rest."

"Golgoth is the local language then?" the Doctor said.

Narcissa stared at him.

"Yes," she said confused. "You're speaking it now. Don't you know what language you're speaking?" she said.

"I'm wearing a translator pendant," the Doctor said without missing a beat.

Narcissa nodded.

"Yes, this is Golgotherum and Golgoth is the local language," she said.

"And you're the Golgoths then?" Amy said.

"No, we are the Goths," Narcissa replied.

"I don't doubt that," Amy muttered to herself.

The Doctor chuckled at that and gave her a playful punch in the arm.

"So, is there anything else you need to see here?" Narcissa asked.

"No, I think I'm done here. So if you'd take us to Juliet's parents…"

"Follow me," Narcissa said as she turned.

The Doctor took Amy's hand and they followed her towards the cemetery entrance.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Juliet's parent's house was just like all the others in Golgotherum, wooden and drab. Amy wondered if there was any color anywhere in the town or even on the planet. She thought not since her bright red sweater was getting stares from everyone they went past. Of course, stares weren't the only thing she was getting. The Doctor gave a drunken man a look of death when he stumbled up to Amy and offered to pay her credits for sex. Amy politely told him that she wasn't a prostitute. The man persisted, not believing that a woman was just wearing red for the hell of it. The Doctor finally got in his face, gave him a warning look and snarled at him to back off. Amy marveled when the man obeyed without question. The Doctor didn't look that threatening but there was something about him, a power inside him that made people take him seriously and back off whenever he got angry.

When they reached the house, Narcissa got in front of them and knocked on the door. It was opened by a stern looking man who was dressed in black and for all the world resembled a pilgrim who had just landed on Plymouth Rock. The Doctor thought all he needed were the buckled shoes and the black hat and he'd be set. The man glanced at Juliet and then his eyes narrowed when he saw the Doctor and Amy.

"Who are they?" he asked Juliet.

"Friends," Juliet said.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor, this is Amy Pond. We're travelers."

"We don't like travelers," the man growled at him.

"I gathered that. But the thing is we came here by mistake and…"

"Yes, you did come here by mistake, you're not welcome here, now leave," the man said.

"Wait, they want to help," Narcissa said to him.

"Help with what?" the man said.

"With your supposed zombie problem."

The man gave him a confused look.

"The undead," Amy said.

The man snorted.

"You can help by leaving here. We don't need any more dead bodies on our hands."

"Dead? I thought they were undead," the Doctor said.

"Yes, but first they end up dead," the man said.

"And your daughter, you believe she's one of the undead?" the Doctor said.

"That thing is no longer my daughter, it's a soulless beast," the man said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"They don't believe that," Juliet said to him.

The man snorted.

"I don't doubt that. Not many who come here believe there are undead until they join their ranks."

"And that happens often? The undead preying on strangers?" the Doctor said.

The man glanced behind him and beckoned them inside. He held the door open until they passed through and then closed it behind them.

"The only reason I let you in here is because I want to give you fair warning," he said to them when he turned towards them. "Dorigon does indeed prey on strangers because they are harder to trace. If you hadn't noticed, this planet is in a remote part of space so not many come here and those that do need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible."

"If that's so, if strangers are targeted, why your daughter then?" the Doctor asked. "Dorigon is a local resident so I'm assuming…"

"Yes, that's your problem, you assume too much. Dorigon isn't a local resident."

"But…he's a member of that serpent order," Amy said. "We saw mausoleums that had the emblem on them."

"Yes, but the Order of the Serpentine is a global organization. Dorigon isn't from here."

"But he preys on your town? Why?" the Doctor said.

"You shouldn't ask too many questions. That's why my daughter was targeted. She tried to find out why and she's undead now."

"So anyone who delves too much into this man's activities ends up his zombie slave," the Doctor said.

"If you like. If zombie means undead slave then yes, that's what happens to nosy people."

"That is why the townspeople hide in their houses, dress somberly, don't laugh or speak loudly. You're trying not to draw attention to yourselves lest he choose you next," the Doctor said.

"Yes, and for the most part it's worked. Which is why I suggest you stop looking like a whore," he said, pointing to Amy's sweater.

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder when he sensed she was going to say something back.

"What about your wife? Are you married?" the Doctor asked.

"She's at the market. When we have things that need to get done, we do our business and get it over with as quickly as possible before returning home."

"That doesn't sound like much of a life," the Doctor said.

"It isn't but most of us have lived in this town all our lives and so have our ancestors. We're not going to abandon it. Besides, Dorigon sees everything. If we run, he can follow us."

Amy knew the Doctor wasn't buying that but he kept silent on that point.

"What if I could help you," the Doctor said to him.

"Didn't you hear a word I said? You're in danger, both of you. You need to run away as fast as you can!" he said angrily.

"Yes, and if we do that, life goes on as before. You can run and run but sooner or later, you have to turn around and make a stand," the Doctor said to him. "Believe it or not, I've handled this sort of thing before."

Amy could tell from the expression on the man's face that he was choosing "Not" but he said nothing.

"Please, let me help you. Amy and I can figure out where Dorigon lives and put an end to his enslavement of your people."

"You'd willingly put yourself in harm's way?" the man said in disbelief.

"Yes. I've done it time and again and I'll do it for you but you have to trust me and Amy," the Doctor replied.

The man looked dubious. Narcissa looked at them and saw conviction in the Doctor's face and suddenly she had a feeling that he was telling the truth and he and Amy could help them. She asked the man to trust them. The man shook his head.

"I think it's a fool's errand but it's your lives, if you want to risk them, that's your decision," he said.

"Thank you. Can you help us by giving us information on your daughter and the circumstances surrounding her death?"

"I s'pose I can do that," the man said, scratching his chin. "I guess if you're going to help, I should introduce myself. Name's Silas."

"The Doctor and Amy," the Doctor said.

The man shook his hand and Amy's hand.

"I hope you know what you're doing. In the meantime, follow me and I'll fix you some tea while we talk," he said.


End file.
